BubbleStream

Jane Flagello

Mercy

Synopsis

Darby Dratton is a veterinarian who believes in protecting helpless, abused animals. A widow, with a five-year-old daughter, her life goals are to grow her animal sanctuary and provide excellent veterinary care. But a colleague’s suicide thrusts Darby into the ugly world of puppy mills and dog fighting, transforming her peaceful life into hell. Darby struggles to save her beloved fur babies from a ruthless, vindictive man, and shut down an illegal dog fighting and puppy mill operation, with the help of the new man in her life and his elite fighting team.

Author Biography

I hope that my stories will touch your heart. They are stories about people in transition, facing life’s challenges, people just like you and me. The magic of stories is that they offer you hints about how to accept whatever life throws at you, and find the strength and courage to overcome, to live life fully with no regrets. In my pre-retirement life I was a college management professor, wrote change management, leadership, and personal development books, and had a successful personal coaching practice.

Author Insight

Innocent Questions

Children speak truth in their innocent questions. Most don't know about subterfuge. Their questions are clean and pure.
So it is with Brianna, Darby's daughter. She loves puppies and her desire to play with the puppies her friend tells her about triggers Darby's curiosity.

Book Excerpt

Mercy

“Oh, Mommy, I have to tell you. I have to tell you!” Brianna flew off the bus and into Darby’s waiting arms.

“My friend, Chrissy, at show-and-tell today. She said they have a lot of puppies in the barn behind her house.”

“They do?”

“Puppies, Mommy. Puppies.”

Darby stood up, waved to the bus driver, picked up Brianna’s backpack, took her hand, and started to walk down her driveway.

“And I asked Chrissy if I could come over and play with the puppies. But she didn’t think her Mommy and Daddy would let me come. Why would she say that, Mommy?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe she had things to do, and it wasn’t convenient for you to go over.”

“When Chrissy’s Mommy came to pick her up I asked her if I could come and see the puppies. But she said no I couldn’t come. And she got real mad at Chrissy. She told her she wasn’t supposed to talk about the puppies. Why did she do that, Mommy?”

“I’m not sure, baby, but I’m glad you told me.”

“Can you call her, Mommy? Tell her you’re a veterinarian and you take care of dogs and cats.”

“Maybe I could do that. But right now, why don’t we go have some milk? I baked fresh chocolate chip cookies for you. You can tell me what else you did at school today.”

“Okay, but why can’t I play with the puppies? Don’t puppies like to play with kids?”

“That’s a good question. Let me think about it. In the meantime, I want a chocolate chip cookie, don’t you?”